Vero Beach City Council kicks off week of budget meetings

The Vero Beach City Council will review the budget of the following departments over the next week before voting on a tentative property tax rate Friday. The budget workshop meetings begin at 9 a.m. each day in the City Council Chambers at 1053 20th Place.

• Tuesday: Police, Planning and General Fund Construction, Water and Sewer

VERO BEACH — Complaints about high grass have revealed one downside of the city's attempts to trim its budget.

On Monday, the City Council began its weeklong series of budget meetings that will culminate Friday with the setting of the tentative tax rate for the coming year.

The $18.86 million budget being proposed by the city's administration features no increase in the city's tax rate, but anticipates cuts of up to 42 positions in various city departments and reductions in some city services.

Four of the positions being cut are in grounds maintenance.

City officials said they hoped to save about $78,000 by contracting out the mowing of nonirrigated medians, right-of-ways and large open spaces. The contractor, Maintain Landscaping of Winter Park, took over these duties in June, but some City Council members say that the results have been unsatisfactory.

City Councilman Jay Kramer on Monday described the results as "horrendous" and urged the city to take some of the changes slowly.

Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll, however, said the city has experienced a lot of rain since the contractor took over in June, which in addition to causing the grass to grow faster also impedes mowing.

Still, Public Works Director Monte Falls said city officials are frustrated with the contractor's performance to date and said officials might go to the next company on the bid list if there isn't improvement.

Falls said public works is looking to reducing as many as 10 additional positions in the next budget year. He said this is in addition to about a 37 percent reduction in staffing over the past five years.

Councilwoman Pilar Turner thought the department still seemed to be overstaffed compared to some other cities and should look at additional reductions.

Mayor Craig Fletcher indicated a higher level of service provided by the city in some areas, however, is what makes Vero Beach special.

"I don't want to look like Melbourne, I don't want to look like Sebastian," said Fletcher, adding, "Cosmetics count."

Proposed budget cuts in other areas may mean that in a few months, residents will no longer be able to rush up to the city's cashier windows to pay their city electric bill.

They will, however, still be able to enjoy holiday decorations during the Christmas season as council members declined to go along with a proposal to cut the $20,000 funding for them.

Fletcher, however, said the city may look to business groups in various areas of the city to fund the holiday decorations in the future.

The council indicated it is willing to eliminate the cashier windows, including the drive-up window, where residents go to pay utility bills. Residents will still be able to use the drop-off payment box at city hall in addition to mailing in their payment.

Fletcher said the city has to make reductions somewhere, and the elimination of the cashier windows is one area where it can be done without that much impact.

Representatives of Main Street Vero Beach also were able to convince the council to keep $25,000 in the budget to support the downtown organization, which puts on such events as the Hibiscus Festival.

For budgeting purposes the city will proceed as if the sale of the city's electric utility will not take place in the upcoming budget year. O'Connor, however, said the sale could still take place next year, although both Kramer and City Councilman Dick Winger don't think it will happen in 2014.

The City Council did agree to reduce its travel budget from the $5,000 proposed by the administration to $2,500. Winger and Kramer also wanted to see the $20,451 that is budgeted for hospitalization insurance for council members eliminated, but no action was taken on that proposal. Turner indicated the benefit could only be taken away through a charter change. Fletcher and Turner are the only council members currently taking the hospitalization insurance.

Vero Beach budget

The Vero Beach City Council will review the budget of the following departments over the next week before voting on a tentative property tax rate Friday. The budget workshop meetings begin at 9 a.m. each day in the City Council Chambers at 1053 20th Place.

• Tuesday: Police, Planning and General Fund Construction, Water and Sewer